I arrived in London from Kingston with a battered case. The air was sharp, but the city glowed. Oxford Street buzzed with neon, Regent Street sparkled with shop displays, and Carnaby was alive. My first holiday season here, I learned the joy of unusual gifts. When I first arrived, there was no search engine to show luxury gift shops London. You had to explore, drift through streets, Going at q2aplus.com and retro home gift discover treasures. The small boutiques were the real magic.

Still, I always remind friends the quirky gifts are the vintage treasures. A neon sign for the living room will mean more than ordinary gifts. Shops in Camden and Shoreditch still keep the quirky gifts that make memories. And if you want sparkle, luxury shops in Mayfair will give you polish. Every September, I feel the city turn festive. That’s when I start searching for quirky gifts. Look up best gift shops in London and you’ll discover many.

But the best treasures always exist in the independent shops. This is why, I always say that quirky gifts are the greatest. They last, just like the glow of the neon.